Original subtitles

[man] I never imagined myself

as someone suited to a life of incarceration.

As a boy, I was afraid of confined spaces.

I feared elevators.

When I was old enough, I just wanted to get in the car,

roll the windows and drive, drive,

drive wherever my eyes would take me.

I was an American kid.

Confinement of any kind was terrifying to me.

So, to my surprise, having been sentenced to ten years in prison...

I found I adjusted quite well.

- [doors clanging] - [locks bolting]

[guard on PA] Section Seven, full lockdown, 800 hours.

[chattering]

[man] I liked the routine.

I liked the regimen.

Same activities, same time, every day.

The same toothbrush, the same clothes, same toilet.

Same stale sweat, stale smoke,

stale bodies, stale cooking, stale farts.

Same conversations.

The faces change but not much.

No choice.

I found that I liked reading books.

I'd never read a book before, not all the way through.

I found a life for myself that had been beyond my imagination.

It was in prison I learned to count cards.

What separates blackjack from other games

is that it's based on dependent events,

meaning past affects the probability in the future.

The house has a 1.5% advantage.

If a player knows the nature of the cards in the shoe,

he can turn the house advantage to himself.

To do this, he has to keep track of every card that is played.

Count is based on a high/low system.

High cards... ten, jack, queen, king... have a value of minus-one.

If they are depleted, player's advantage goes down.

The low cards... two, three, four, five, six...

have a value of plus-one.

The seven, eight and nine have no count value.

The player keeps track of every card and calculates the running count.

Then the player arrives at the true count,

which is the running count divided by the decks remaining.

For example, if the running count is plus-nine

and there are four and a halfdecks remaining,

nine over four and a half gives you a true count of plus-two.

As true count increases,

the player's advantage increases.

The idea is to bet little when you don't have the advantage,

more when you do.

Well, that's about enough for me.

- Hey, man, good to see you. - Good playing with you.

Again.

How we doing?

- Hi. How are you? - Good.

[slot machines chirping]

Would you like large bills?

Yes, please.

That's one, two, three, four, five, six, seven and 50.

- That's $750. - Thank you.

- Have a great day. - You too.

[car doors opening, closing]

[phone ringing]

- Good day. - [woman] Good day to you, sir.

I'd like a single, one night.

I'll pay now. I have cash.

- [woman] $56. - All right.

Checkout's at noon. Sign here.

- Would you like some coffee? - How old is it?

I made it this morning.

I'm fine.

- Room 101. - Thank you.

Mm-hmm.

[dice rattling]

[cheering]

Mr. B. Long time, no see.

- Hey, not so long, Slippery Joe. - How you been?

They don't call me that no more.

- Yeah? - What are they calling you?

- Do you have a suggestion? - Are you here for the poker tournament?

Yeah. I like grand openings.

- Reopenings. Don't know why they bother. - They're working things out.

Mistakes get made. It always happens.

They got a new high-stakes pai gow room.

- Yeah, house odds 11 %. - Yeah, and plenty of suckers.

I don't know, those Asian gamblers are pretty crafty.

No, you just seem to think of them that way. What are you gonna play?

I'm gonna play a little blackjack.

You know, there's some great guys down here.

- Downtown Brown... - I've met enough people.

No, you've got to meet them, man. So, anyway, so...

All right, you know what? Let's just go to Washa Casino.

It's 15 minutes away. We can sit in on the poker game.

- Slippery. - Come on, Mr. B.

We're going. We're going.

You know what? This has been dead to me.

You can...

Kansas City's been a bust for me anyway.

- It's like, ever since... - Never played Kansas City.

Washa Casino. Where'd they get a name like that?

It's indigenous.

Well, where's all the Indian shit?

- [machines chirping, trilling] - Jackpot.

[bell ringing]

Yeah.

Shit.

Shit!

They're down to the final table.

World fucking tournament.

Kiss my balls.

What's your problem, Slip?

I ain't got no problem.

USA! USA!

Look at this asshole, Mr. USA.

It's working for him.

Yeah, and he's working it for all it's worth.

He was born in the Ukraine.

You know he's got his own website?

I came all the way out here for this shit.

Where you on to next?

There's a law enforcement convention in Atlantic City.

- GSC. - Oh.

Yeah, cops are always good.

They get a few drinks in 'em, they think nobody can touch 'em.

Shit. I ever tell you about my brother Bobby from Pascagoula?

State trooper.

- USA! USA! - USA!

[William] The man never saw a day of service.

I'd like to run that red, white and blue flag

straight through his mouth and out his asshole.

But you just told the story of his life.

[poker players] USA! USA! USA! USA!

[Mr. USA] That's it, baby.

- May I join you? - Be our guest.

I recognize you.

- We've played before. - Yeah.

You know, I'm gonna let you two youngsters be.

I'm gonna go play some dice.

All right.

- Three times. - No, four times.

Horseshoe Baltimore,

Caesars Atlantic City, Foxwoods,

- and Harrah's Philly. - That's right.

You binked a gutshot straight at Foxwoods.

No explaining luck.

Linda, right?

La Linda.

LL, like "Lucky Lady."

Ah, okay.

I've watched you play. You count cards, right?

I'm not that smart.

But you win, so you count cards.

How do you avoid getting backed off?

I've been backed off.

Yet here you are.

Yeah, well, it's a matter of degree.

The house doesn't mind players who count cards.

They don't even mind players who count cards and win.

I'll have a Tom Collins with Tanqueray.

Soda water, please.

What they don't like are players who count cards and win big.

It's about how much you win and how you win it.

I stick to modest goals.

That's what I wanted to talk to you about.

What's your name again?

William Tell.

I've watched you play poker,

and I wonder why you play at such low stakes.

You're a crackerjack.

I keep to modest goals.

No, there's no reason for that.

You can get someone to stake you, an MTT,

make seven million in payout.

That's what you do, you run a stable.

I'm always looking for a good thoroughbred.

[chuckles]

I can get someone to back you 100%, on my word.

I prefer to work under the radar.

I thought you were a gambler.

- Thank you. - You're welcome.

- Thanks. - You're welcome.

So, Bill, you ever been to prison?

Why would you say that?

I can tell when someone's been inside.

It's a gift I have.

Here's the problem with a backer.

He puts up the money, you split the winnings,

that's all good.

But if you lose, you have to pay those losses out of future winnings.

Right? That only makes sense.

And slowly, you build weight.

You go to any poker website, look up the top ten winners,

millions in earnings, 50% of them are underwater.

Swamped in debt they'll never repay.

If you don't play for money, why do you play at all?

It passes the time.

So, Bill.

Why don't you pass some time with me?

Let's play poker.

[William] In poker, the player does not play against the house.

He plays against other players.

The house takes a cut.

Two things are necessary...

Knowledge of the mathematical odds, knowledge of your opponents.

Poker is all about waiting.

Hours pass. Days pass.

Hand after hand,

each hand like the hand before.

Then something happens.

There's a weight a gambler can accrue by accepting financial backing.

It's like any weight a person in debt accrues.

It builds and builds, has a life of its own.

There also is a moral weight a man can accrue.

This is the weight created by his past actions.

It is a weight...

which can never be removed.

♪ In my lonesome aberration ♪

[man on PA] Your attention, please.

The Correctional Officers Association mixer

- has been moved... - Nice playing with you.

[chattering]

[woman] Welcome, sir.

[Gordo] Polygraphs have historically been the problem child of investigation

in law enforcement.

This may soon change.

Vocat Electronics has developed

a 22-point facial recognition software

that uses a proprietary algorithm

to interact with CQT detection.

This software, called STABL, is in the beta-testing phase.

Vocat will soon be offering a test version of this software

to qualified law enforcement

and public incarceration agencies.

Vocat makes no great claims,

but thinks this advance of potential truth detection

needs some field experience.

How reliable is it?

How does it work?

That's what I want to get into now.

I prepared this PowerPoint demonstration

with a volunteer from the Milwaukee Police Department...

Do you remember him?

...misclassifying innocent subjects, false positives.

This is my number. I'm staying at this hotel.

Cumulative research evidence suggests

that CQT detects deception better than chance,

but with significant error rates.

[William] The smartest bet for a novice is red/black in roulette.

- Your odds are 47.4%. - [dealer] No more bets.

You win, you walk away.

You lose, you walk away.

It's the only smart casino bet.

- [dealer] Fourteen, red. - [wheel spinning loudly]

[spinning continues]

[heavy metal music playing over speakers]

No! Where's my shoe?

[female soldier] Hey! Get the fuck back!

Where's my shoe, guys?

Shoe!

[prisoners shouting, whimpering]

Get the fuck back!

Now!

Get up!

- [music continues] - [dogs snarling, barking]

[soldiers chattering]

[man speaking in Arabic]

[dogs barking, echoes]

[slot machine trilling]

[chiming]

- [female bartender] Hi. - Johnnie Walker, double, neat.

- Please. - You got it.

Hello.

Yeah, you gave me a piece of paper with your number on it earlier tonight.

You awake?

I'm here. I'm at the bar. The one by the elevators.

I'll wait.

[William] You want a drink?

Yeah, I'll have one of those.

Another. The same.

[bartender] Sure.

Let's sit.

So, what was that all about?

What?

You giving me a piece of paper with your name and number on it.

You remember Major John Gordo?

Of course, he's not a major anymore. He just uses that title.

What are you talking about?

PFC William Tillich. Isn't that your name?

I've done my research. I know your case.

Thank you.

- Who are you? - Cirk Baufort. Cirk with a "C."

My father was Roger Baufort.

Gordo trained my father in the arts of enhanced interrogation.

Roger Baufort? That name doesn't ring a bell.

Gordo was at Abu Ghraib.

As a private contractor.

My father, he visited him there.

Is this story going anywhere?

The beauty of his scheme was that Gordo, once he became a private contractor,

he couldn't be prosecuted for crimes not on American soil.

But my father...

wasn't so lucky.

He was dishonorably discharged, got addicted to oxycodone.

He'd been injured. He drank heavily. He beat my mother. He beat me.

My mother left one day without saying a word.

Without a suitcase. Just...

That left only me to beat.

Until he shot himself.

That was four years ago.

So I decided I'd just get into it.

Investigate it for myself, find out what really happened.

Set things straight.

What does your mother say?

She made her choice.

Do you know where she is?

No.

And how am I involved in this?

Well, there were a handful of soldiers that were bad apples, who were punished,

but those who are really responsible are still walking around out there,

giving lectures at conventions.

Getting honorary degrees.

The apples weren't bad.

The barrel they came from was bad.

You know, when I recognized you at John Gordo's seminar,

I recognized you instantly.

I thought to myself...

"Here's a man who might want a piece of what I'm gonna do."

[William] This is how it starts.

Just a fleeting thought.

A daydream.

Then it builds

and builds.

And what is that?

Capture him, torture him and kill him.

They made you the fall guy.

They fucked you, PFC Tillich.

- My name is Tell. - Whatever.

You were in the photos. No one else was prosecuted.

Just the soldiers in the photos.

They put you in hell.

Then they blamed you for it.

You got the barracks at Leavenworth, and Gordo got R and R in Kuwait.

Cirk...

you need to back off.

I've spent a lot of time thinking

the exact same thoughts you're thinking right now.

They eat you up.

Are you gonna tell on me?

No. I'm not.

It's your life.

- [slot machines trilling] - [siren wailing]

Cirk with a "C"?

It's Bill Tell.

You want to ride with me?

I'm a cardplayer.

I go from city to city, casino to casino,

card room to card room.

It gets lonely.

I'd like some company.

I'll cover the costs.

[Cirk] Who is it?

Tell.

Bill.

Come on in.

You live like this?

Well, I was packing.

All right. Let's get your shit together, get on the road.

[heavy metal music playing]

Turn it off.

Come on.

Turn that shit off.

[music stops]

Who are you? God?

If you'd ever actually been there...

you'd never want to hear that shit again in your life.

So, where are we going? You never told me.

You never asked.

There's a racino at Delaware Park.

Delaware casinos are tied into race tracks.

I'm not really into playing cards.

Do you like sports?

- Yeah. - Well, they have a great sports book.

Yeah, but that costs money. I mean...

how much is it gonna cost me?

'Cause I can't really go around spending my money like that

on sports betting.

[William] Who is this insolent little prick?

I did play fantasy football with the guys a while back, but...

I don't know. I suppose that counts.

What about college? What happened there?

It wasn't for me.

How much debt you got?

Some.

A lot.

And you want to go back?

I got out of the mood.

Do you have any interests?

What do you mean?

Interests, like,

anything you want to do, an occupation, a business.

I got interests.

[William] Sports betting is a world unto itself.

There's a hundred games going on around the world

at any given moment. That's a lot of information.

But the algorithms here at the house are faster

and better and quicker than you, so unless you have inside information,

sports betting is just for fun.

Here's a couple hundred bucks.

You pick two teams, place some bets, have some fun.

I'm gonna go play some blackjack.

Here's walking-around money.

Just a second. It's just a little damn noisy out there.

That's a lot better.

Hey, La Linda, you there?

I'm at Delaware Raceway.

Electricians.

So, I've been thinking about what you were saying

and having some second thoughts.

I might be interested in what you were talking about.

Yeah, I realize that.

I just think that we could take the conversation to the next step.

After this, back up to AC.

Okay.

All right.

Is there an end to punishment?

Is there a limit to the amount of effort it takes to merit expiation?

Is it possible to know when one reaches the limit?

[soft rock music playing]

[woman vocalizing]

[William] Well, here she is.

Madam.

Join us.

La Linda, I'd like to introduce you

to the young man formerly known as Cirk Baufort.

Now we just call him the Kid.

- Yep. That's Cirk with a "C." - Yeah.

- Pleased to meet you, Kid. - King of sports book, the Kid is.

Yesterday, played two games, hit them both on a double pop.

Give me some of your luck.

La Linda and I just have something we want to discuss. Maybe...

Yeah. I'll give the slots a whirl.

All right. Bet small, lose small.

He's a good kid.

What was this thing you wanted to talk about?

Um, well, I may want to build up a nest egg,

and to do that, I need a backer.

Well, that's a dramatic turn.

You woke something in me.

I don't know.

It's the Kid. He needs help.

And money will do that?

He's got debts.

So, where do we start?

Well, jump on one of these WSOP tours.

They got an event every week.

And you'll come up fast if you're willing to travel.

I am.

We'll start on the East Coast for now. Tease 'em.

- Vegas? - That's where the money is.

Do I have to meet the backer?

For some people, it's an ego thing. Others don't care.

I'll find something that suits you.

I build my nest egg, I bail.

One year max, then I'm out.

I wish I could believe that.

Believe.

I'm too old for this.

- Bye. - Bye.

The other day, you asked me,

"What was the greatest hand of poker ever played?"

And I can only speak for what I have seen,

and this...

is the best hand I ever saw.

2012, Indian casino in Iowa.

Blackbird Bend, Omaha Nation.

10K tournament.

Goldie, Asian player, wore a lot of gold, and Alex Karesco, WSOP champion.

You may have heard of him.

Alex has pocket queens,

clubs and diamonds.

Goldie has eight, nine of diamonds.

How'd you do that?

Practice. I was in a place where I had a lot of time on my hands.

Now the flop.

Ten of spades,

jack of diamonds, queen of hearts.

There's blood in the water.

Both players think they're ahead.

It goes check, raise, reraise, re-reraise, call.

Alex and Goldie, head-to-head.

Now the turn.

Ten of diamonds. Now,

there is only one card that gets Goldie out.

There's a 2% chance the river will come the seven of diamonds.

Alex has a 98% chance of winning with queens full of tens.

Goldie looks at the damage.

He doesn't even have a pot-sized bet left behind.

Makes this little sucking sound that the Japanese do.

[inhales]

Then he goes all in.

Alex calls.

Now the river.

Seven of diamonds.

Straight flush beats a full house. Goldie wins.

You saw that game?

Haven't been to Iowa since.

Could you top us off, please?

So this, um...

this plan you have

about Major John Gordo,

you given it more thought?

He's all nails. You're not.

He's right out of fucking Call of Duty.

How you gonna do that?

Well...

there would need to be a tranquilizer.

Ketamine, combined with Telazol.

It can be administered by a dart pistol.

Where'd you find out about this?

- The Internet. - And you have it?

Just the ketamine.

But it's amazing how easy the stuff is to get.

I mean, I ordered it on a lark. Three days later, it arrived.

This isn't very well thought out.

And that's why I need a partner.

Somebody with experience, somebody with expertise.

And motive.

A strong guy.

A guy like you.

Let's...

roll back your scenario for a moment.

You've located John Gordo.

You shot him with a dart.

He's gaga.

What next?

Strip him naked.

Put a hood over his head.

One of those green military sandbags.

You can find them on eBay.

Then handcuff him.

Hang him from the ceiling, keep him from sleeping.

Make him try to jerk off while I hit him in the legs.

Did your father tell you about this?

No, he never talked about it.

He kept it all inside.

He beat you.

That's in the past.

The body remembers.

It stores it all.

Do you want to hear about it? Would that interest you?

- What? - You know what.

You're dying to hear.

The noise.

The smell.

Feces, urine,

oil, explosives,

bleach, sweat, smoke.

All day, every day.

Sand spiders, camel spiders, ants as big as cockroaches.

The heat, fear,

the adrenaline jack, mortars.

The sheer noise of it.

And blood.

And the only way to survive was to rise above.

Rise and laugh.

Surf the craziness.

To see a grown man shit and piss on himself.

Sing the song. And the noise, the fucking noise.

The noise.

We were all just trapped in there, in the same shithole.

Them and us.

And am I trying to justify what we did?

No.

Nothing...

Nothing can justify what we did.

Your father understood that.

If you were there, you could understand.

Otherwise, there's no...

understanding.

♪ In my lonesome aberration ♪

♪ Don't meddle with a crown ♪

[Linda] Minnesota?

[laughs]

- When was the last time? - Orlando?

Oxford Downs. That's right.

- You were with Clickity Dick. - USA! USA!

I'd like to put a cap in that motherfucker.

Now, take it smooth, Minnie, and exercise those legs.

[both laugh]

They call him Minnesota Fats after the movie.

You know, there's not a lot of fat people that play professional poker anymore.

I like to call him Charlie Two Chins.

Why is that?

'Cause he got more chins than a Chinese phone book.

- Thanks for the straight line. - Minnesota Fats played pool in that movie.

- No, poker. - No, that's Cincinnati Kid.

Oh, whatever.

♪ In my lonesome aberration ♪

[William] The preferred poker variant

for multi-table tournaments is no-limit Texas Hold'em.

It encourages large pots and large raises.

The prize money is split between the top five players.

Before the hole cards are dealt, the player to the left of the button

must post small and big blinds.

This stimulates action, and the blinds go up every hour.

♪ We can see each other now ♪

The rest of the cards are common cards.

The flop, three cards.

♪ Surrounds you like a crown ♪

One eight hundred.

♪ We can see each other now ♪

The turn.

♪ We can see each other now ♪

♪ We can see each other now ♪

Then the river.

The river can instantly turn a losing hand into a winner.

That's Hold'em's betting appeal.

All in.

♪ In my lonesome aberration ♪

What happened? You get bored?

Played some slots.

You should read some books.

I'm gonna buy you one.

I've read books.

- What is it with her? - Name one.

- One what? - Book.

How about Poker for Dummies? I believe you may have read it.

[laughs] I like him.

Wow. You made it to the second dinner break.

I must have fired two dozen tournaments before I lasted that long.

So, how many are left?

Four tables, so should be done tomorrow.

How much cards do you play?

Forty hands an hour,

eight to 12 hours a day, six to seven days a week.

Do you do anything else?

Like what?

Like anything.

- Go to a park, a concert, a museum. - Museum?

Yeah. I'll buy you a book on it. It's called...

[all] Museums for Dummies.

Bah-dum-bum. [laughs]

No, but seriously, you should do something else.

Just for variety.

I like playing cards.

♪ In my lonesome aberration ♪

♪ It won't settle with a crowd ♪

- [laughing] - USA!

USA! USA! USA!

That's $800,000.

Where do they get their money?

Geez Louise. Slow down, Kid.

You see the purple chips? What do they say?

- 5,000. - 5,000 what?

5,000 grains of rice?

That's not money. Those are tournament chips.

We just call them dollars. It's good publicity.

So, how much is it?

Depends on the buy-in and the split.

A game like this, there's about 500,000 in play.

The winner will get 150,

runner-up anywhere from 70 to 80, and so on.

- Oh, yeah! - USA! USA!

USA! USA! USA!

- You know who he is? - Who?

Bill Tell or whatever his real name is.

You know who he is, right?

All I've ever heard was William Tell.

- Why do you think he has another name? - You've been around him.

He's a mystery.

And I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

Am I in any danger?

Of what? Falling in love?

Don't be a child.

What is his past?

[Cirk] I haven't asked.

Well, what are you two doing together?

I don't have any goals.

I'm just along for the ride, one day at a time.

Hmm.

[Cirk] What do you think he's holding?

[Linda] I don't know, but if you be quiet, we'll find out.

All in.

Call.

[man] Oh, yeah! USA!

[supporters] USA! USA! USA! USA!

[man whoops]

- USA! - That's it, baby.

All right.

54,000 for a night's work.

Hope you're not disappointed.

That's 27 for you, 27 for me.

Let me sign this.

Hey, excuse me a second. Got to hose it.

All right.

[Linda] I'll have a Manhattan.

I'll have the same, please.

Here you go.

[Linda] Thanks.

Thank you.

- Cheers. - Cheers.

What did you mean when you said that the other day?

- Said what? - "I woke you."

What does that mean?

I don't know. It was just something I said.

It's just a comment.

Hmm. It's an odd thing to say.

So, what's your story?

Everybody's got a story.

What's your story?

Why poker?

Let me guess, it has something to do with a man.

- Bingo. - [William chuckles] Where was this?

East Saint Louis.

He went outside his zone.

- He tilted. - [William] Which direction?

Violence.

But he had some good friends who liked me, and they were gamblers,

and I drifted in that direction.

And they said I have very good people skills.

Yeah, I found something I'm good at.

I like you.

I like this friendship we have.

So...

what are your plans?

I like where it's headed.

I mean tonight.

I got to go back to my motel. I got some work to do.

You're not staying here?

No, I don't like staying at casinos.

They know everything about you, the maids and the staff.

Corridor cameras, noise. It's not for me.

See you down the road, La Linda.

- Cleveland, right? - Yeah.

[William] His real name was John Rodgers.

"John Gordo" came sometime later.

He was born in Georgia.

He first came to the attention of the CIA during the Contra counterinsurgency.

He was trained in interrogation in Nicaragua.

From there, he entered the SERE program. Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape.

The program was devised to help captured US soldiers

withstand hostile interrogations.

Get the fuck up! Get up!

[shouting]

They were put into stress conditions.

Sensory deprivation,

confinement in close spaces,

given bombardment with dangerous decibels of noise.

[baby crying on headphones]

Starvation, sleep deprivation.

And sexual humiliation.

After the foreign fighters at the Guantánamo detention camp

were unresponsive to interrogations,

a decision was made to reverse engineer the lessons learned in the SERE program.

SERE psych op instructors were brought to Gitmo

to devise enhanced interrogation techniques.

One of the first to arrive

was consultant John Gordo, now a civilian.

Lessons learned at Gitmo

were conveyed to interrogation black sites around the world.

In 2003, a decision was made to Gitmo-ize the civilian prisons

at Bagram Airfield and Abu Ghraib.

Civilian consultant John Gordo arrived in May.

Did you go to college, Tillich?

Community college, two years.

They teach you creativity there?

- No, sir. - Well, that's what it takes here.

Not everything's black-and-white. You got to use your imagination.

This isn't about following a manual.

It's about getting answers.

Answers that'll save American lives.

What if they don't know the answers?

They all say that.

That's their culture.

Follow me.

Wake him up!

Baufort, get in there.

Time to talk, little buddy.

Up! Let's go!

[prisoner shouting in Arabic]

Go!

[Gordo] I'll be right back.

Tillich.

I like you.

I think you got what it takes.

You got the right stuff.

I'm gonna put you on night shift.

That's where all the good stuff happens.

Okay, let's fuck this Ahmed up!

Greer. Wipe that shit off of him.

Your easy days are over, Ahmed.

Come on.

Get him up. Get him up.

[prisoner grunts]

[William] Gordo was right.

I had it in me.

I had the right stuff.

The Kid was right.

When those photos came out, Gordo vanished.

The only ones prosecuted were in the pictures.

Not their superiors.

Not their superiors' superiors.

Gordo moved on, started his own consulting company.

I heard he was working in Cairo.

In the military, rank means everything.

In USDB, it means nothing.

- What you doing, man? - What?

- You got a problem? - No. I'm sorry.

- You got a problem? - I'm sorry.

Sorry about that.

Do it. Do it.

[breathing heavily]

Bitch.

[William] Prisoner's name was Clay Williams.

I don't know if he's alive or dead.

If he were alive,

I wonder if I could hire him to finish the job.

[Cirk] You know, this ain't such a bad life.

I think I could get used to this.

It's a thin margin.

It's 24-7.

Most cats can't cut it.

So, how'd you meet La Linda? I like her.

She runs a stable.

That's what they call a group of gamblers backed by investors.

The gamblers are the horses. The investors put up the money.

Split the winnings with the stable.

But why don't they just use their own money?

OPM.

Other people's money.

Casino, the TV, the websites, they all want big pots.

It's entertainment.

Hey, where are we going, anyway?

- I thought Saint Louis was back that way. - Taking a detour.

We're gonna take a little trip down memory lane.

[William] This was my home for eight and a half years.

Since we were near, I thought we'd drop by.

Up there, second floor. 202 B Pod.

I got my own place after the first year.

Then, um, another place on the other side.

You know that fella I told you about, the one I wanted you to meet?

He's here.

Thought I'd pay him a visit. I've arranged it.

Want to join?

[scoffs] Go into a military prison? No. No, thanks.

Well, it's pretty good as far as prisons go.

You know, built in 2002.

Things still work, like toilets.

Shit, man, I mean, you walk in there

and those doors close behind you, that's fucking it.

I'm going in. Come on. Think of it as a field trip.

As a teachable moment.

I'll wait in the car.

I'm inviting you.

I ain't going.

Just park the car.

- [train horn blaring] - [chattering]

Hey, you ever been on Google Earth?

What is that?

It's where I was when I was waiting for you. It's amazing.

Look, you can enter any place in the world.

It comes right up. Street View.

Look at that. 290 Great Hills Road, Rockville, Virginia.

The house, the surroundings, latitude, longitude.

That's John Gordo's house.

Front entrance, back entrance.

You still got him on the brain?

Yes, sir.

I don't think that's such a great idea.

How'd it go at Leavenworth?

You still pissed at me?

Hey, wasn't La Linda supposed to meet us here?

Yeah.

She'll be here tomorrow. Meet us in Saint Louis,

then do a deep stacks in Biloxi,

Tunica, then on to Panama City.

You like her, huh?

Yeah.

Yeah. Me too.

You ever been married?

When I was in the service, I was a bit of a ladies' man.

Thought I was.

But...

then the other stuff happened.

That narrative was broken.

So, how long's it been since you got laid?

How long has it been since you've seen your mother?

- I wouldn't know where to find her. - That's bullshit.

What business is it of yours, anyway?

- You remember her? - Sure.

Yeah? She reach out to you?

She try and contact you?

I'll make you a deal, Kid.

You go see your mother, and I'll fucking get laid.

About earlier, I don't like prisons.

Even seeing them on the highway here, looking at it and you realize,

"Oh, my God, that's a prison."

My dad used to send my mom letters from Bagram,

and she'd cry.

There's something quite similar in poker.

- You know the phrase "tilt"? - Yeah.

When a player gets caught up in winning, plays outside his zone.

Just like in pinball.

And there's something similar in interrogations.

It's called "force drift."

It happens when the interrogator applies

more and more force to the prisoner with less results.

The interrogator becomes intoxicated by frustration and power.

Any man can tilt.

I can tilt.

Your father can tilt.

You can tilt.

I said ride with me. You did. You came along.

What do you think we're up to, you and me?

♪ In my lonesome aberration ♪

♪ It won't settle with a crowd ♪

♪ In my lonesome aberration ♪

La La La Linda, La La La Linda. La La La Linda.

- [Linda vocalizing, laughing] - La Linda!

Here, I preregistered you with a buy-in.

Now, your name is getting some recognition value.

- Well, that's always a good thing. - USA!

How's the turnout?

It's normal.

You know that guy that's always doing like this?

- Religious Ronnie. - Yeah. He's here.

Got the Santa Tanita and all that stuff with him.

Santeria.

♪ In my lonesome aberration ♪

♪ It won't settle with a crowd ♪

♪ You're a beast that I was raising ♪

♪ That surrounds you like a crown ♪

♪ But I need some rapture ♪

♪ But I got nothing to show ♪

♪ And my heart ain't broken ♪

♪ Won't turn silver to gold ♪

♪ In your lonesome advocation ♪

[announcer] Let's get some cards in the air!

♪ You don't meddle with the crown ♪

♪ You're a leash that I was twisting ♪

♪ And it wears you like a gown ♪

♪ But I need some rapture ♪

- Clock! - Clock on 38.

♪ But I got nothing to show ♪

Okay, okay.

[William] A great player can see right into your soul.

You can wear earplugs, a hoodie, a baseball cap,

mirrored glasses, a ski mask,

but he'll see right into your soul.

Call.

♪ And my heart ain't broken ♪

♪ Won't turn silver to gold ♪

- Where's Cirk? - He must have crashed.

I'll call him and wake him up.

No, that's all right. Don't bother.

I want a drink.

- [bartender] What can I get you all? - I'll have a Tanqueray on the rocks.

I'll have a Jack, double, neat.

You talk to him. Have you noticed anything about him lately?

Like what?

Moody and...

I don't know.

Well, I got an offer for a sponsorship from Rock Poker.

Ten thousand for you.

Yeah? That's the one with the little pony logo on the titty, right?

Yeah, the rocking horse with the word "poker."

Are you all right?

Yeah. I'm fucking all right.

Fucking all right, crying and shit.

What do I have to do for this sponsorship?

You just have to wear their T-shirts during the tournaments.

I had to ask. It was an offer.

I wish the Kid had been here.

- Well, let me call him. - No, it's all right.

Leave him alone.

[slot machines chirping, trilling]

You know you made the cut. This is your moment.

You know, I think that you have the wrong idea about me.

Yes, I want to win the money.

I want to go to the World Series, but then that's it.

This kid, Cirk, he needs help.

He's got financial debts.

And I understand him.

And if I can help him, maybe he has a chance to start over again,

resume his education and start a life.

And you would do all that?

Well... yeah.

Yeah.

You have to be the strangest poker player I ever met.

Oh, you have no idea.

What you doing tomorrow? You're off.

I got no plans.

She said to me,

"Did you ever see a city all lit up at night?"

I said, "Yeah, I've seen a whole city on fire."

"Not like that," she said.

[woman vocalizing]

[woman vocalizing]

Bobby, you must see this.

- [Linda] I didn't have it bad... - Come on, trust me.

[Linda] That's not what I meant to say.

Of course you know other people have it better.

And you learn to be careful around certain people.

But I had friends, and I had family, of course.

They had a park. They lit it up like this. Much bigger.

[laughs] How would I know? I was just a little kid.

Everything was bigger.

- This was Saint Louis? - Yeah.

You know, it doesn't matter to me if you did something bad in the past.

You can tell me about it.

Yeah, I don't know.

What could be so bad?

I was just a kid.

Everything was bigger.

Just in your mind.

♪ I was drifting Back in and out of space ♪

♪ There was nothing left ♪

♪ There was no more taste ♪

♪ Every closer breath You could ever share ♪

♪ I was never lost You were always there ♪

♪ I was yours, you were mine ♪

♪ Every moment kept, every left behind ♪

♪ I was never lost, somewhere in between ♪

♪ I was on the shore, it was heaven ♪

I'm glad you suggested this place.

♪ It was in my mind, every burning thorn ♪

♪ It was bright as day It was loud as bombs ♪

♪ You're an overture that's just started ♪

♪ Hold me down until love's exalted ♪

♪ Running blind in and out of sight ♪

♪ You were on my lips, you were paradise ♪

♪ I was never lost, somewhere in between ♪

♪ I was on the shore, it was heaven ♪

♪ We just slowly will fall ♪

♪ Louder than bombs ♪

♪ Loud as a bomb ♪

♪ You just open your arms ♪

♪ Loud as a bomb ♪

♪ Loud as a bomb ♪

No! In the name of Jesus and Mary, what have you done to me?

I have done nothing to you!

USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!

Call.

[water running]

[gamblers chattering]

Hey.

- Where were you? - Played a little blackjack.

- How'd that go? - Came out ahead.

Nice.

How do you like it?

- Like what? - This. This life we have, you and me.

Yeah. It's cool. That's for sure, but...

But what?

It's all the same.

You know, it's repetitive.

It's...

I don't know if it really feels like it's going anywhere.

Well, you know, you just go around and around

until you work things out.

How's that going for you?

You given it any more thought?

No.

- You going to the World Series of Poker? - Already registered.

- That'll be cool. - Yeah, that'll be it for me.

You gonna quit? Quit the circuit?

I've done my time.

Look.

I don't know if...

I'm up for going to Vegas.

Yeah? You gonna bail?

It's late, but you got a second?

Sure.

I want to show you something. You have a moment?

I got a proposal.

Come here. Follow me.

[William] Come on.

You live like this?

Sit down.

Need anything?

Some water?

No, I'm fine.

How about...

a sandbag to put over your head?

They sell them on eBay.

When civilian contractor John Gordo first approached me in Abu Ghraib,

he said I needed to be more creative.

He said I had talent, but I lacked imagination.

Would you agree with that?

- Bill, what the fuck is going on here? - Real life is going on.

World Series of Torture.

- I'm gonna... - [shouts] Stay seated!

You sure I can't get you any water?

You may wish you had accepted later.

Do I have your attention now, Cirk?

Do I? Do I?

Yeah.

Good.

Are the little nerves at the ends of your fingers and toes

and the tip of your dick starting to tingle with fear?

Good.

Let me enhance this a little bit.

[grunts]

[panting]

I've been doing a little investigating about you, Cirk with a "C".

About your father,

I did meet him at Abu Ghraib. I lied about that.

Your mother, your time in college, your scrapes with the law.

It's all on the Internet, of course.

I'm gonna make you a proposal.

Sit up.

You have approximately $20,000 in college loan debts.

Twenty thousand.

To go back to college, tuition, expenses, condoms, and so forth.

It adds up, so let's say another...

80,000.

On top of that, you've got $5,000 in credit card debt.

Your mama, bless her, she's got her problems,

she's about 35 grand underwater

with the mortgage and all, so let's say 40 grand.

And for the heck of it, let's throw in another ten grand pocket money.

That's 150 grand, cash, tax free.

- All that's yours on one condition. - And what is that?

Go see your mother.

She lives in Fall River, Oregon. I have the address.

I spoke to her. I didn't tell her who I was, of course.

Go visit her.

Forgive her.

Make things right with her. Clear up her debt.

Tell her about your college plans. Then put her on the phone with me.

I want to hear her say these things.

I want to hear her voice.

You serious?

Yes.

And if I don't?

This is not a proposal you can afford to reject.

And if you cheat me...

I'll find you.

You don't want that to happen.

I don't like celebrity gambling.

I like anonymous gambling.

I did this for you.

You hear what I'm saying?

Yeah.

Do we have a deal?

Yeah, we have a deal.

Thank you.

Okay. Let's give her a call.

She'd still be up right now.

Yeah.

[elevator bell dings]

[Linda] One sec!

- Who is it? - It's William.

What's up? Thought we were meeting in the pit.

- You cool? - Yeah. Yeah.

- We got final table tomorrow. - Yeah, no, I know. 2:30, right?

Hey, where's your sidekick?

Oh, yeah, he had to go home. His mom's not feeling well.

- He has a mom? - Yeah. Believe it or not.

- So, what's on your mind? - Um...

I made a promise to Cirk before he left.

You know, he talks about you. He fancies you.

You mean he fancies himself a matchmaker.

I promised him that I'd...

act on these feelings I have.

These feelings towards you.

- Oh? - I think you may have them, too.

♪ I was drifting Back in and out of space ♪

♪ There was nothing left ♪

- You do, huh? - Yes, I do.

♪ Every closer breath You could ever share ♪

♪ I was never lost You were always there ♪

♪ I was yours, you were mine ♪

♪ Every moment kept, every left behind ♪

[William] The feeling of being forgiven by another and forgiving oneself

are so much alike.

There's no point in trying to keep them distinct.

How much time we got?

Come look at this.

What?

[woman on video] Cirk?

My God, Cirk, is that you?

- Yeah, Mom, it's me. - What? Where are you?

I'm in Panama City.

Well, what's happening? It's been so long.

Mom, I've been thinking, and...

I haven't been fair to you.

I want to come and see you.

Are you all right?

So it goes on like that for a while. Got a little maudlin.

She lives outside of Portland. He'll be there in a day or two.

- He'll call me from there. - Hmm.

How'd you get him to do that?

He wanted to.

Just needed an excuse.

I may go visit them. I never played the Northwest.

[announcer on PA] And welcome to the final table.

[crowd cheering]

You keep tabs on this. I'm expecting a call.

Yes!

USA! USA! USA!

Well done.

[announcer] All right, players. That's the end of the level.

90-minute dinner break.

[phone chimes]

[Linda] Your phone was buzzing.

It's from Cirk.

- "Wish you were here." - [chuckles]

Nice.

You got about ten minutes.

[line ringing]

- Good game, young man. - Good game, man.

I need a minute.

[crowd murmuring]

What's going on?

Floor.

[reporter] Thanks for joining me here in Rockville, Virginia.

Ryan Choi with Eleven Alive News.

We are currently on the scene of Major John Gordo's home.

Now, what we do know is that there has been an unidentified suspect

that was armed with a pellet pistol.

The suspect fired and missed.

Major Gordo returned fire, killing the suspect.

Earlier today, I spoke with Major Gordo.

[Gordo] You purchase security thinking something like this might happen,

but you don't think it ever will.

[news anchor] In other news, a fire in the warehouse district

of suspicious origin.

Four fire companies responded.

There were no reported injuries, and the fire was brought under control

after roughly 90 minutes.

Fire investigators are on the scene.

[keypad beeping]

[clicking]

[William] It's turned off.

Come sit down, John.

Don't be stupid.

- You remember me? - Should I?

Tier 1 A, Abu Ghraib.

Tillich?

Bill Tillich.

You look pretty good, all things considered.

How long were you in Leavenworth?

- Eight and a half years. - That's a bitch.

That boy that you shot.

He wanted to kill you.

I assumed that.

You trained his father.

His name was Roger Baufort.

Just like you trained me.

What happened to him?

He shot himself.

So I'm to blame?

That's a pussified defense, PFC Tillich, and you know it.

We are each responsible for our own actions.

I believe that.

We are going to go into the next room, you and I.

And we are going to have a dramatic reenactment.

Only one of us will come out alive.

I'm going to make things right.

Either that, John Rodgers...

or I'm going to blast a bullet straight through your eyeball.

- Lead the way. - After you.

- I got some cigarettes. Do you want one? - [Gordo] No.

[William] Neither do I.

[Gordo] Who goes first?

[William] Me.

[match strikes]

- [skin searing] - [Gordo groaning]

[grunting, whimpering]

- [flesh squelching] - [Gordo shrieks]

[William panting]

- [blows landing] - [Gordo screaming]

[shouting, screaming continue]

Emergency services?

I'd like to report a homicide.

290 Great Falls Road.

I never imagined myself

as someone suited to a life of incarceration.

[knocking]

Inmate Tillich. You got a visitor.

[rock music playing]

♪ When your silent eyes won't speak ♪

♪ But you can't feel the quiet ♪

[door buzzes]

♪ And you're strumming all the strings ♪

♪ But there's nothing but darkness ♪

♪ With your crying eyes ♪

♪ It's only your prayers That you're fighting ♪

♪ And the way is shown ♪

♪ But you can't see the world Without starlight ♪

♪ So you hollow yourself In the mercy of man ♪

♪ You just need something To find your way home ♪

♪ And a spire of dreams Are the finest of things ♪

♪ You just need someone To carry you home ♪

♪ Carry you home ♪

♪ When your quiet eyes won't speak ♪

♪ But you can't feel the silence ♪

♪ And you're forced to scrape and steal ♪

♪ Till you're nothing but diamond ♪

♪ And royal kings or a choir of thieves ♪

♪ You just need someone To find your way home ♪

♪ A spire of dreams Are the finest of things ♪

♪ You just need someone To carry you home ♪

♪ When your silent eyes won't speak ♪

♪ But you can't feel the quiet ♪

♪ And you're strumming all the strings ♪

♪ But there's nothing but darkness ♪

♪ With your crying eyes ♪

♪ It's only your prayers That you're fighting ♪

♪ And the way is shown ♪

♪ But you can't see the world Without starlight ♪

♪ So you hollow yourself In the mercy of man ♪

♪ You just need something To find your way home ♪

♪ A spire of dreams Are the finest of things ♪

♪ You just need someone To carry you home ♪

♪ Carry you home ♪